Vehicle loader

ABSTRACT

A refuse loader including an improved mechanism for insuring proper sequential movement of a loading apparatus having a packer plate, a plate carrier, and at least one operating link and including means for pivoting, retracting, and repositioning the packer plate. The packer plate is pivotally mounted on a reciprocable carrier which, together with the plate, is adapted to be first extended and lowered for engaging loose material to be packed, whereupon the plate is swung through an arc to collect and compact the material. Thereafter the carrier and plate move together to a discharge portion of the loader. After performing the cycle, the packer plate is pivoted downwardly and returned to the original position for repetition of the cycle. The principal improvement comprises the provision of means associated with the carrier which have a predetermined resistance to sliding or reciprocable movement of the carrier in relation to the resistance to arcuate or pivotal movement of the plate, whereby, with only a single actuating means, such as a piston and cylinder assembly, and one link extending between the carrier and the pivot, operation will be carried out in the proper sequence.

United States Patent Gollnick 5] Apr. 4, 1972 54] VEHICLE LOADER 57 ABSTRACT [72] Inventor: Cyril R. Gollnick, Oshkosh, Wis. A refuse loader including an improved mechanism for insuring [73] Assi Leach Com an Oshkosh Wis proper sequential movement of a loading apparatus having a g p packer plate, a plate carrier, and at least one operating link [22] Filed: June 5, 1970 and including means for pivoting, retracting, and repositioning Appl. No.: 43,918

Primary E.raminer-Albert J. Makay Att0rney-Greist, Lockwood, Greenawalt & Dewey the packer plate. The packer plate is pivotally mounted on a reciprocable carrier which, together with the plate, is adapted to be first extended and lowered for engaging loose material to be packed, whereupon the plate is swung through an arc to collect and compact the material. Thereafter the carrier and plate move together to a discharge portion of the loader. After performing the cycle, the packer plate is pivoted downwardly and returned to the original position for repetition of the cycle. The principal improvement comprises the provision of means associated with the carrier which have a predetermined resistance to sliding or reciprocable movement of the carrier in relation to the resistance to arcuate or pivotal movement of the plate, whereby, with only a single actuating means, such as a piston and cylinder assembly, and one link extending between the carrier and the pivot, operation will be carried out in the proper sequence.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATEF'ETEUAPR 41372 3,653,522

SHEET 1 OF 4 INVENTOR Cam/4 1Q. 6OLL/ K ATT'YS.

SHEET 2 BF 4 INVENTOR CYKJL 601.1.Mmz

BYM/M ATT'YS TI-le present invention relates to refuse collecting vehicles, and in particular, to an improved construction or refuse loaders for use with truck bodies of the type in which refuse is loaded into a bin or refuse receiving portion of the loader, then picked up by a powered packer plate, and moved into a discharge area from which it is transferred to the interior of the body proper so that the truck body may be fully loaded with material of maximum density before emptying thereof.

Refuse collecting vehicles of the type in question are known to be designed to meet certain structural and functional criteria; one such desirable feature is that a loader for refuse includes power equipment thereon to the maximum practical degree, to minimize labor cost and time spent in refuse collection. This is important from the standpoint of direct operational cost as well as because business and residential owners commonly prefer that refuse be picked up only during certain hours of the day.

Inasmuch as the regions in which refuse is dumped for buming, or for removal to a more remote area are often somewhat distant from the places at which refuse is collected, it is desirable to insure that the maximum volume of refuse can be packed in a truck body, and it is also desirable that the material be packed as densely as possible so that the maximum possible weight thereof can be accommodated between trips to the unloading area.

It is also a requirement for a satisfactory refuse or garbage collecting vehicle that the design provide for maximum access to a loading or pickup area thereof. Therefore, refuse collecting trucks commonly include a wide open bin extending across the entire rear of the body so that the bin is easily accessible from either side and from the rear. Such a construction, when associated with its operating mechanism, inherently makes the vehicle undesirably heavy in the rear, thereby limiting the amount of useful load that may be placed therein, particularly where regulations limit the maximum vehicle loading per axle as well as gross vehicle weight. In other words, vehicles having heavy mechanisms in an overhanging position produce a substantial moment about the rear axle, undesirably concentrating excess weight on the axle, although not necessarily producing an excessive gross weight.

In addition, extending the mechanism behind the rear wheels in this way tends also to increase the overall length of the vehicle and to limit the manuever ability thereof, which is a significant drawback in vehicles intended for use in cramped areas such as alleys, docks and the like.

Accordingly, in view of the various characteristics desired in refuse collecting and loading equipment, and in view of the shortcomings of various prior art loader constructions, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved refuse loader assembly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a refuse loader having a simplified construction of the essential elements.

Another object is to provide a refuse loader having a mechanism such that movement of a single actuator served to position the packer plate and move the carrier in a desired sequence.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a loader mechanism wherein a single movement sequence accomplishes these objects, and wherein no outside control is needed to perform the transition from one step or function to the succeeding function or step except continuous movement of the pistons within associated hydraulic cylinders.

Another object is the provision of such a system making extensive use of existing components in the interest of simplicity and economy.

A further object is to provide a refuse loader in which a reduced number of components is required to perform an operation previously requiring a greater number of parts or elements.

A further object is the provision of a loader unit which may be mounted for pivotal movement in respect to an associated truck body.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for a refuse loader in which a packer plate and an associated carrier are moved as a unit to the pickup area of the loader, and in which the plate is then moved to pick up and compact the refuse, and thereafter moved with the carrier as a unit into a second position for discharging the refuse from the loader into an associated vehicle.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for moving a packer plate from a first position for engaging refuse to a second position for discharging the refuse and which includes a carrier for pivotally supporting a packer plate, and one or more operating links attached at one end thereof to the plate and at the other end to an actuator operated by a hydraulic cylinder and wherein the end associated with the actuator is positioned for relative movement within the carrier to a limited extent so that movement of the actuator will move the plate relative to the carrier and then move the carrier and the plate together as a unit.

Another object is to provide a construction wherein the ratio of the resistance to movement of the packer plate to the resistance to movement of the carrier may be carefully controlled so that plate movement will take place to a permitted extent prior to carrier movement, thereby enabling a desired movement sequence of the components to take place.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a carrier plate having novel locating means as well as means for adjusting the movement resistance of the carrier, and to embody such a carrier within a compact loader unit.

The present invention achieves these objects and other inherent objects and advantages by providing, in a mechanism having a packer plate movable between first and second positions, a carrier unit positioning the packer plate for pivotal movement and having adjustable positioning and movement resistance means and a pair of hydraulic cylinders for moving the plate and carrier as a unit to first position, then moving the plate to a retracted position, and thereafter moving the carrier and plate as a unit to the second position for discharging refuse picked up by movement from the first position.

The manner in which these objects, and other objects and advantages inherent in the invention are accomplished will become more clearly apparent when reference is made to the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention and to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view, showing the loader of the invention in a normal position of use associated with a truck body;

FIG; 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the loader unit of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end elevational view of a portion of the loader of FIG. 2, taken along lines 33 thereof;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the loader unit of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a partially schematic vertical sectional view of the loader of the invention, showing the packer plate, carrier, and operating links in one position thereof;

FIG. 6 shows the elements of FIG. 5 in another position thereof;

FIG. 7 shows the elements of the FIGS. 5 and 6 in still another position thereof; and

FIG. 8 shows the elements of FIGS. 5-7 in still another operational position thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Before referring in detail to the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood that the invention is useful in a number of different environments and may be embodied in various forms, and that it may be used on various types of associated vehicles, including those with or without auxiliary load packing means, and including trucks having bodies mounted for dumping, or other forms ofunloading the contents thereof. It will also be understood that a principal use of a loading device of this type is for loading refuse, but that other materials may be loaded into associated truck bodies with loaders embodying the principles of the invention. Certain features of the present invention, and particularly the means for creating resistance to movement of the carrier to insure that the packer plate may be moved without bringing about movement of the carrier, represent an improvement over a general type of mechanism previously known to perform this operation, such general mechanisms being referred to in the application of Robert A. Boda, Ser. No. 43,935, filed June 5, I970.

Referring now to the' drawings in greater detail, the invention will be illustrated by reference to an embodiment wherein the loader of the invention is associated with the body portion 22 carried by a truck 24, and wherein means in the form of a hinge 26 and a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly 28 serve to attach the loader 20 to the rear end portion 30 of the truck body 22.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the loader 20 is comprised of a number of principal elements, including a hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 32 for moving a carrier assembly 34 with a reciprocating motion generally parallel to a top edge portion 36 ofa combination loader bOdy frame element and carrier guide 38. The cylinder and piston assembly also serves to move the packer plate 40 by movement of the operating links 42 extending between a link mounting flange portion 44 of the plate 40 and a carrier drive and link positioning assembly 46. FIG. 2 also shows that the loader 20 includes a pair of side wall portions 48, 50, and a generally arcuate bottom wall 52 forming, in combination with a vertical end wall 54, a refuse receiving area 56 lying below the sill 58, which in turn defines the lower edge of the refuse receiving opening 60 which is presented when the plate 40 is in another position of use, as will be described in further detail herein.

FIG. 2 also shows a top guide stop 62 associated with an upper end portion of the carrier guide 38, and mounting means 64 including a shaft 66 for maintaining the mounting cars 68, 70 associated with the carrier 34 and the plate 40 respectively, in position for permitting pivotal movement of the packer plate 40.

Referring now also to FIGS. 3 and 4, it is shown that the hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly 32 includes a doubleacting cylinder 72 having a mounting ear portion 74 thereof mounted by means of a fastener 76 to a lower portion 78 of the lower frame member 80. A movable end portion 82 of the assembly 32 is attached to the piston rod 84 and mounted by a fastener 86 to a transverse rod 88. Attached to the opposite end of the rod 88 is a similar end portion (not Shown) ofa left hand piston and cylinder assembly (also not shown), which corresponds to the right hand assembly 32 and is similarly constructed and arranged. FIG. 4 also shows that the operating link 42, in addition to being joined at its lower end 90 (FIG. 2) to the flange 92, is also joined at its other end 94 to the rod 88, thereby forming, with the fastener 86 and movable end portion 82 of the piston rod 84, a carrier drive and link positioning assembly 96. In the form of the invention shown, the carrier 34 includes a pair of oppositely disposed side portions 98, 100, a forward edge 102, a cover element 104, and a pair of slots 106, 108 in the sides 98, 100, in which the rod 88 may reciprocate before engaging the rounded upper stops 110, 112 or rounded bottom stops 114, 116 forming the ends of the slots 106, 108, respectively.

Referring now in particular to the carrier 34, it is shown to be positioned for movement parallel to the top guide 38 and held in place between the top surfaces 118, 120 of the side walls 48, 50 and the lower surfaces 122, 124 of the top guides 38, 126 by engagement therebetween of rollers 128, 130, 132, etc. which are associated with the carrier 34. Lateral movement of the carrier 34 is limited by the provision of guide assemblies 134, 136, 138 and 140 which include portions thereof bearing against the side walls 142, 144 of the guides 38, 126. Four pairs of adjusting screws 146, 148, and 152 are associated with the guide assemblies 134, 136, 138 and 140 so that resistance to movement of the carrier assembly 34 with respect to the fixed portions of the loader 20 may be adjusted, for reasons which will presently appear.

Accordingly, in view of the above-described disposition of the rollers 128, 130, 132 etc., the various surfaces serving as guides, and the guide assembly 134, 136, 138, 140, all of which combine to define the nature and extent and movement of the carrier 34, it will be appreciated that movement of the carrier 34 may be accomplished by exerting sufficient forces in either direction on the carrier 34. As shown in FIG. 3, for example, a typical guide assembly 140 preferably includes a fixed block 154 to which are attached sleeves 156, 158 for receiving the adjusting screws 152. Acting through springs (not shown) these adjusting screws may more or less forcefully urge the contact plate 160 against the side wall 144 of the guide 38. The block 154 is secured, as by welding, to a flange 162 on the side 98 of the carrier 34. Therefore, frictional resistance to movement of the carrier 34 may be adjusted by adjusting the sets of screws 146, 148, 150, 152. It will therefore be understood that, assuming that there is appreciable resistance to displacement of the carrier 34, a force acting on the carrier drive and link positioning assembly 96 will tend to move the rod 88 and its associated operating link 42, provided that such movement may be accommodated by passage of the rod 88, link 42 and associated components through the opened portions of the slots 106, 108.

The provision of the guide assemblies 134, 136, 138, 140, the adjustable screws 148, 150, 152 associated therewith, and the positioning thereof on the carrier assembly 34 comprise an important feature of the invention, inasmuch as this arrangement of parts provides for an effective means of locating the carrier assembly 34 against lateral movement, and a simple and effective way to assemble and align the relatively movable components of the loader assembly. Furthermore, continuous adjustment of these elements may be made as the unit is being used. In this way, variations in friction, variations caused by wear of the parts, and variations in the operating cycle which are desired by reason of the type of material being loaded may be accommodated readily by adjustment by the user during conditions of actual use without the aid of expensive tools or the need for adjustment to the hydraulic system.

In addition to the features and advantages referred to above, it will also be apparent that the means of mounting the carrier plate 34 is economical and reliable as well as making a replacement and repair of the elements in question very simple and economical. The accessibility of these elements makes adjustment thereof easy, and the location thereof insures that these elements will encounter the least likelihood of coming in contact with the material being loaded.

Reference will now be made to the operating cycle of the loader, whereby the reasons for this fact will be made more clear.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-8, inclusive, positions of certain of the movable elements are shown in various portions of a complete operating cycle. In the position of FIG. 5, the plate 40 is in a fully extended position and the carrier 34 is in a position of extreme downward movement. In FIG. 6, carrier 34 remains stationery but the plate 40 has moved to a retracted position, and in FIG. 7, the carrier 34 and plate 40 have moved as a unit to the maximum extent of travel in the opposite direction. In FIG. 8, the carrier 34 remains in the extreme upward position but the plate has been moved to a fully extended position in preparation for movement of the carrier 34 downwardly to the position of FIG. 5, from which the cycle will be repeated.

Referringin particular to FIG. 5, it will be assumed that the portion of the loader which receives the refuse has been substantially filed with refuse so that addition thereto of additional refuse would cause the load to spill out over the sill 58, and that the carrier 34, with the plate 40 extended has moved to the position shown. This traps refuse between the arcuate bottom surface 52 of the loader 20 and the front surface of the packer plate 40. When an actuating force is applied to the carrier drive and link positioning assembly 96, provided that the rod 88 and its associated parts are movable freely in the slot 106, and that resistance to arcuate movement of the plate 40 is not sufficiently great to prevent rod movement, the link 42 will urge the flange 92 and the plate 40 to the position shown in FIG. 6. This serves to compact the refuse and/or move it somewhat upwardly from the receiving area 56 of the loader 20. In the position shown in FIG. 6, the rod 88 has reached its maximum upward movement within the slot 106, and accordingly, continuing upward force supplied thereafter will be applied through the end portion 112 of the slot to the carrier assembly 34, causing it to move upwardly to the position shown in FIG. 7. Thereupon, refuse carried by the plate 40 is carried or transferred over the upper edge 164 of the wall 52, from which position it falls or is pushed to the interior of the body 22 of the truck 24. FIG. 8 shows that, provided in this instance there is resistance to movement of the carrier 34, a downward force applied to the rod 88 will first permit the rod 88 to move downwardly in the slot 106, thereby moving the associated link 42 and plate 40 to the illustrated extended position. This is the normal position of the carrier 34 and plate 40 when the bin 56 is being loaded.

One feature of the invention which is achieved by the opera tional features of the mechanism provided is that in the event, for one reason or another, there is great resistance to arcuate movement of the plate 40 from the extended position (FIG. 5) to the retracted position (FIG. 6), and an actuating force continues to be exerted, such force will then tend to move the carrier 34 in the same direction as the force is applied. In other words, assuming that plate 40 would not undergo a pivoting motion, the rod 88 would therefore not be permitted to slide forward, and the carrier 34 and plate 40 would, in effect, be a single unit, so that the actuating force transmitted through link 42 to the plate 40 would tend to move the entire assembly as a unit. In such a case, if the obstruction to movement of the plate 40 could be bypassed as the carrier moved toward an extreme upward position, when the obstruction or obstacle were bypassed, resistance to a retracting movement of the plate would be diminished and the rod 88 would again move forward in relation to the carrier 34. As a result, at the end of the operating sequence, the carrier 34 and plate 40 would occupy the position shown in FIG. 7, although the exact movement sequence undergone by these parts to arrive at this position would be different from the ordinarily intended sequence already described. On the other hand, if the resistance to arcuate plate movement continued throughout the entire stroke, the position shown in FIG. 7 would never be achieved, but the position of elements shown in FIG. 8 would result, namely, a position in which the carrier 34 would be in its maximum upward position while the plate 40 would remain in the extended position. The possibility of undergoing these movement sequences is a safety feature, inasmuch as, upon encountering unusual conditions, the mechanism will undergo a movement sequence determined by the portion of the sequence which presents the path of least resistance during the portion of the cycle in question. Consequently, the cylinder and piston assemblies are not as likely to be overloaded as they would be in a construction wherein retraction and carrier movement were accomplished by plural pairs of cylinders rather than merely one pair of cylinders. The present construction also has the advantage of simplicity in that only one cylinder or pair of cylinders need be provided.

Furthermore, the form of linkage is simplified in respect to prior art linkages. Inasmuch as the mechanism itself is simplified, the control system is simplified, and, in normal use of the mechanism, assuming that it is properly adjusted, the movement sequence is self operating, and therefore, separate sequencing controls or elements need not be provided.

The location and disposition of the elements of the loader of the present inventionis such that massive elements need not be placed at the rear portion of the loader. As a consequence, the loader can be made compact in front-to-rear dimensions and relatively light in weight in relation to its capacity, thereby allowing a truck to be more compact for better maneuverability and to have more favorable weight distribution so that a given gross weight will be more equally distributed on the truck axles than would be the case in the use of prior art designs.

Inasmuch as the present construction uses a minimum of links, rods, actuators, and the like, its inherent simplicity provides dependability and reliability at low cost.

As can be appreciated by reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the auxiliary hydraulic cylinder 28 and its counterpart (not shown) enable the loader assembly 20 as a whole to be pivoted rearwardly and upwardly about the point 26 so that the body 22 of the truck 24 can be emptied in a conventional manner, such as by the use of a body dumping mechanism, a refuse removal plate, or the like.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides an improved refuse loader for use with a collection vehicle having a number of advantages and characteristics, including those herein particularly pointed out, and others which are inherent in the invention.

lclaim:

1. In a mechanism for movement of a packer plate in relation to an associated refuse loader from a first position for engaging refuse in a load receiving portion of said loader to a second position for discharging refuse packed and transferred by said plate to the discharge portion of said loader, said mechanism comprising, in combination, a carrier for a packer plate, a packer plate pivotally connected to said carrier, at least one operating link attached at one end thereof to said plate for causing arcuate movement thereof between extended and retracted positions upon movement of the other link end relative to said carrier, means carried by said carrier receiving said other link end to permit free but limited movement of said other link end, and at least one movable actuator associated with said other link end, the improvement comprising the inclusion of means for providing predetermined resistance to movement of said carrier in relation to the resistance to arcuate movement of said plate, whereby movement of said other link end in one direction will first move said plate to said extended position and thereafter move said carrier and said extended plate as a unit to said first position, and movement from said first position in the opposite direction will first move said plate to said retracted position and thereafter move said carrier and said retracted plate as a unit to said second position, said means for providing said predetermined resistance including a plurality of assemblies each including a contact plate for being urged into abutting relation to a guide surface for said carrier, spring means urging said plates into said abutting relation, and adjusting means for varying the force on said spring means.

2. A mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein four of said assemblies are provided and wherein each is disposed adjacent a corner of said carrier. 

1. In a mechanism for movement of a packer plate in relation to an assocIated refuse loader from a first position for engaging refuse in a load receiving portion of said loader to a second position for discharging refuse packed and transferred by said plate to the discharge portion of said loader, said mechanism comprising, in combination, a carrier for a packer plate, a packer plate pivotally connected to said carrier, at least one operating link attached at one end thereof to said plate for causing arcuate movement thereof between extended and retracted positions upon movement of the other link end relative to said carrier, means carried by said carrier receiving said other link end to permit free but limited movement of said other link end, and at least one movable actuator associated with said other link end, the improvement comprising the inclusion of means for providing predetermined resistance to movement of said carrier in relation to the resistance to arcuate movement of said plate, whereby movement of said other link end in one direction will first move said plate to said extended position and thereafter move said carrier and said extended plate as a unit to said first position, and movement from said first position in the opposite direction will first move said plate to said retracted position and thereafter move said carrier and said retracted plate as a unit to said second position, said means for providing said predetermined resistance including a plurality of assemblies each including a contact plate for being urged into abutting relation to a guide surface for said carrier, spring means urging said plates into said abutting relation, and adjusting means for varying the force on said spring means.
 2. A mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein four of said assemblies are provided and wherein each is disposed adjacent a corner of said carrier. 